SUP Pilates Series at Wake Up Docklands

In the back of my Passion Planner, I have a list for 2017 of things I wanna do, places I wanna go and experiences to have. One of them was SUP (Stand Up Paddleboarding) / SUP Yoga so when the opportunity to try SUP Pilates came up there was no way I could say no!

This summer will see the launch of brand new SUP Pilates classes at Wake Up Docklands in Royal Victoria Dock, London with Ruth Tongue. Ruth has been teaching Pilates for over 8 years in London and is also a qualified nutritionist who has been working in the health and fitness industry for over ten years.

As a SUP Yoga fan, Ruth wanted to share an alternative for those who are less downward dog and more core-centric – SUP Pilates being the result!

SUP Pilates

I started the afternoon with the 45 minute SUP Pilates session with Ruth.

It’s been quite a while since I’ve done Pilates but I am well aware of how good a workout it can be. Pilates already has a major focus on core and controlled movement so having to do this on an unstable board floating in water just increases the intensity.

Lucky for us the sun was shining in all its glory for the afternoon but being so early in the season the water was still pretty chilly (especially by my standards).

I loved that the class progressed our positions and even included some standing exercises leading to “burpees” on the paddleboard!

Intro to SUP Technique

We took a much needed break after Pilates and refuelled with smoothies and snacks from C Press London before heading back into the water for a 45 minute intro to SUP technique with Jason Bergin of Urban Recovery.

Now this session was the one that really got me nervous as we were now on the boards moving into the main body of water. It’s been a very long time since I’ve been out on open water and although I’m now a “swimmer” it’s still nerve wrecking for me to be doing activities on water.

We started off in a kneeling position to learn the basics of how to use the paddle to steer the board in the required direction. We then learned how to stand up on the board in order to use the paddle fully and get the full experience.

And this is where I became stuck. The wind was strong making the water a little choppy which obviously made the board more unstable. Although I did manage to stand up for a couple of short periods I definitely felt more confident in the kneeling position!

I’m under the impression that the session lasts for two hours normally, so I’m sure that I’d be much more comfortable the next time I go out on the paddleboard knowing what to expect!

If you saw any of the outtake images on Instagram stories you’ll know the different faces of fear and excitement I went through during the afternoon but all in all I thoroughly enjoyed the session and would definitely do it again. Maybe even somewhere even warmer, with blue seas…

A girl can dream, right?!

To take part in SUP Pilates, no previous experience is needed at all. All you need to take with you is swimwear to go under a wetsuit (provided) if it’s not too warm, or some crops / leggings and a top you don’t mind getting acquainted with the open water if it’s a little warmer, along with a towel and flip flops.

The venue is easily accessed via the Emirates cable car (which was worth the trip in itself) from North Greenwich, or via DLR to Royal Victoria. It’s like a little oasis in the midst of east London!

For information on times, days and prices of the SUP Pilates classes check out Ruth’s website – www.ruthtongue.com.

Have you been Stand Up Paddleboarding yet?! …done yoga or Pilates on a SUP too?! …would you try it?!

Elle